diff --git a/sched/script_validator.cpp b/sched/script_validator.cpp
index 122ce54fbfb..6a34efce98b 100644
--- a/sched/script_validator.cpp
+++ b/sched/script_validator.cpp
@@ -104,7 +104,11 @@ void validate_handler_usage() {
     );
 }
 
-// see validate_util2.h for return values
+// run script to check a result
+// if script exits with VAL_RESULT_TRANSIENT_ERROR, return that;
+// the WU will be validated again after a delay.
+//
+// any other nonzero return means the result is not valid
 //
 int init_result(RESULT& result, void*&) {
     if (init_script.empty()) {
@@ -144,10 +148,13 @@ int init_result(RESULT& result, void*&) {
         int s = WEXITSTATUS(retval);
         if (!s) return 0;
         if (s == VAL_RESULT_TRANSIENT_ERROR) {
+            log_messages.printf(MSG_NORMAL,
+                "init script return transient error"
+            );
             return VAL_RESULT_TRANSIENT_ERROR;
         }
-        log_messages.printf(MSG_CRITICAL,
-            "init script %s failed: %d\n", cmd, s
+        log_messages.printf(MSG_NORMAL,
+            "init script %s returned: %d\n", cmd, s
         );
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/sched/validate_util2.cpp b/sched/validate_util2.cpp
index 04ba5aa5740..bccd9010a32 100644
--- a/sched/validate_util2.cpp
+++ b/sched/validate_util2.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ using std::vector;
 //    (i.e. there was a broken NFS mount).
 //    Should call this again after a while.
 //
+// always return zero
+//
 int check_set(
     vector<RESULT>& results, WORKUNIT& wu,
     DB_ID_TYPE& canonicalid, double&, bool& retry
@@ -74,6 +76,9 @@ int check_set(
     had_error.resize(n);
 
     // Initialize results
+    // For each one we potentially allocate data,
+    // so always exit via goto cleanup:
+    // to free this mem
 
     for (i=0; i<n; i++) {
         data[i] = NULL;
@@ -134,21 +139,22 @@ int check_set(
 
     if (good_results < wu.min_quorum) goto cleanup;
 
-    // Compare results
+    // for each result, count how many it matches (including itself)
+    // If this is at least min_valid, it's the canonical result
 
     for (i=0; i<n; i++) {
         if (had_error[i]) continue;
         vector<bool> matches;
         matches.resize(n);
         neq = 0;
-        for (j=0; j!=n; j++) {
+        for (j=0; j<n; j++) {
             if (had_error[j]) continue;
-            bool match = false;
             if (i == j) {
                 ++neq;
                 matches[j] = true;
                 continue;
             }
+            bool match = false;
             retval = compare_results(
                 results[i], data[i], results[j], data[j], match
             );
@@ -156,7 +162,6 @@ int check_set(
             case ERR_OPENDIR:
             case VAL_RESULT_TRANSIENT_ERROR:
                 retry = true;
-                retval = 0;
                 goto cleanup;
             case 0:
                 if (match) {
@@ -169,7 +174,6 @@ int check_set(
                     "check_set(): compare_results([RESULT#%lu %s], [RESULT#%lu %s]) failed\n",
                     results[i].id, results[i].name, results[j].id, results[j].name
                 );
-                goto cleanup;
             }
         }
         if (neq >= min_valid) {
@@ -185,12 +189,11 @@ int check_set(
         }
     }
 
-    retval = 0;
 cleanup:
     for (i=0; i<n; i++) {
         cleanup_result(results[i], data[i]);
     }
-    return retval;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 // a straggler instance has arrived after the WU is already validated.